Comatose
by Rojafire
Summary: Locked in his head, unable to move, the only voice he hears is one that soothes. A/U, A/H.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters.

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Chapter 1

I was running later than usual as I walked quickly down the hospital corridor, nodding my hellos at the nurses I had grown to know over the course of several months. It was Friday, so the hospital was busier than usual, likely preparing for a night of ill-conceived decisions made by drunken partygoers. I knew Charlie was doing the same down at the station. His words from this morning still echoed in my head.

"Bella, you need to be home at a decent hour tonight. The first Friday after school starts is always wild, and I don't want to worry about you on the road with drunk drivers."

"Of course, Dad." I had mumbled, feeling awkward about his concern. It was so different than what I was use to with Renee. "I just have to volunteer at the hospital for a few hours, and get some groceries but I should be home no later than 5:30."

Charlie had nodded, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck "Good." He said sighing, relief flooding his features.

I suppose that was one less thing he had to worry about tonight.

In no time, I found the door I was looking for and pushed it open slowly. The nurse in the room smiled up at me as she checked the patients vitals. "Afternoon, Bella. How are you today?" she asked me.

"Late," I groaned, knowing I wouldn't be home until after 5:30 now, and sincerely hoping Charlie wasn't going to make a stink. "But otherwise good, how are you, Jess?"

She smiled a knowing smile before venting a little about how busy the ER was already. "You would think people would learn to stay away from the Quileute river this time of year." she huffed before setting the stethoscope back in its proper drawer. "Well," she went on, winking, "I will be at the nurses station if you need me."

"Mhm," I rolled my eyes as she left. She knew how much I enjoyed reading to patients in my free time, but I was fairly certain she knew I enjoyed my time with this patient the most.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, I started the timer, plopped down in the uncomfortable bed side chair and started reading. It wasn't too long before my thoughts started to wander.

If not for his permanent residence within the hospital, the chances of ever meeting Edward Cullen were unlikely. He was high society, a business man, made of money with a rich family, spectacular home and gorgeous wife—or so I was told, because Edward had never actually spoken a word to me, and any remnant of his life before the hospital was nowhere to be seen, including his knockout of a wife, Kate Denali.

I sighed as I glanced over toward his lifeless body. It had been 8 months since his accident and his wife had only been in to visit him once since I started volunteering here 3 months ago—presumably not by choice either, as there had been something wrong with the paperwork that required her presence.

The gossip surrounding her infamous visit was still being discussed months later in our quaint little town of Forks. Apparently, she flew in with an entire legal team for a meeting with the Cullen's, who came armed with a legal team of their own.

None of the hospital staff knew what was discussed, but ever since that day in the board room of Forks General, any new information regarding Mr. Cullen was to be first passed unto the head physician, who just so happened to be his father, Carlisle Cullen. It didn't take a genius to figure out that guardianship had been transferred from his wife, to his parents but no one knew why and Kate hadn't been back since.

As I looked him over, I had an even harder time imagining why she wasn't there. I knew she was famous, and her acting career in California kept her busy, but, and according to the online articles I had read about their life together, they had been together for 10 years and were deeply in love. Letting my eyes travel over his face, I felt an all too familiar pang in my chest, wondering if perhaps they got it wrong.

Another sigh escaped me I glanced back down at the book I had been reading him for the past 20 minutes. Thinking about his wife's abandonment when he needed her most was too much, and I felt the tear trickle from my eye and down my cheek before I could stop it.

Annoyed with myself, I wiped furiously at my face, "stupid, stupid, stupid," I laughed humorlessly. None of the other patients effected me quite as much as him, which was truly silly considering I was actually able to have more than a one-sided conversation with them...

Maybe it was because I knew what abandonment felt like, or maybe it was because of the latest rumors surrounding Kate and the mystery man she had been seen with. Nevertheless and regardless of why I cared so much, the reality of the situation was not lost on me. Edward Cullen was not my concern, not really. I was just there to read to him for 30 minutes after school as a volunteer.

One day he would wake up, leave the hospital and I'd likely never see him again, or at least that was the hope. And yet…. glancing back, I couldn't help but feel an inexplicable connection to him, one I would mourn the loss of when that day came.

I was so lost in thought that I jumped when a sudden beeping noise alerted me to the fact that our thirty minutes were over. Frowning, I packed away my things and slung my pack over my shoulder. I reached for his hand as I always did before saying goodbye and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I know you have no reason to care what I think." I said pausing only for a minute, wondering if there was apart of him that could hear me "But for what it is worth, if I was your wife, I would never abandon you. I'd be here every day, waiting for you to come home to me."

Without another word, I turned and left, walking back down the corridor toward another room, a fake smile plastered on my face as my gut twisted painfully.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Where can we go from here?


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters.

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Chapter 2

I sighed as I closed the door to Mr. Evan's room and made my way to the nurses station to let them know I was heading out for the evening. Jess was talking to another nurse I had trouble remembering the name of, but turned to smile up at me as I drew closer. "Hey," I said, "I'm finally done and am gonna head out."

Jess frowned at my words. "Did Mr. Evan's give you a hard time again, Bella?"

I groaned internally, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. "You know how he gets some times when he wants another chapter." I said, shrugging. It wasn't a big deal.

"Yeah," she nodded. "But that doesn't mean that sort of behavior is okay. I'll have a talk with him later."

"Okay," I said not wanting to argue. "You ladies have a good night."

"You too, Bella," she sang, her words full of innuendo. I rolled my eyes and headed for the hospital exit.

It was ten after 5 when I left the hospital, so I sent a quick text to Charlie, letting him know I'd be a home a little later than I thought. The last thing I needed was for him to worry needlessly in case he went by the house and noticed I wasn't there. Although his concern wasn't unwelcome, it was new and made me feel awkward.

Starting up the old truck I received as a welcoming gift when I moved to Forks, I drove slowly to the only grocery store in town, mentally calculating what I would need for dinner. I was relieved that I didn't need much, which meant I would probably be in and out of there in under 10 minutes if there wasn't a line.

Once parked, I quickly ducked inside to avoid the rain and grabbed a basket, making my way to the produce section in search of onions. I stopped short as my eyes caught sight of the strawberry display. It was rare that Forks had such nice looking strawberries, at least since I moved here, and I couldn't help but be drawn to them; they _were_ my favorite, after all.

I ghosted my fingers over the selection and came to rest on the best looking ones, debating.

"Those are the best looking ones," someone said beside me, making me to jump slightly. Smiling, I turned to agree, but the words caught in my throat. Standing before me was Esme Cullen, the matriarch of the Cullen family, and Edward's mother.

She was gorgeous, with light caramel-brown hair and light brown eyes. Despite the fact that she must have been in her mid-fifties, she didn't look a day over thirty-five.

"My son loves strawberries," she continued with a wistful smile before recognition lit up her eyes. "You're Isabella Swan, the volunteer at the hospital?"

I nodded dumbly, shocked she remembered me, having only met her once in passing. "Yes, that's me." I replied after a moment, "But I prefer Bella."

She smiled brighter then, "Bella suits you. I'm Esme Cullen, though I'm sure you knew that." she said with a wave of her hand. "I don't think we've had the opportunity to talk before."

I nodded again, picking up the strawberries. "No, I've seen you at the hospital, but I've always been so busy going from one room to the next." I supplied. "Did you need these?" I asked her, not wanting to take them in case she had her eyes on them first.

"Oh, no dear." Esme held up her hands as if to say they were all mine. "I thought it was you and wanted to thank you personally for your volunteer work."

She reached out, plucking the strawberries from my hands and placing them gently in my cart before taking my hand in hers and squeezing. "You have no idea how much our family appreciates it, Bella."

I smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. Esme seemed to notice my discomfort and quickly released my hand before wiping her eyes. Not wanting to appear insensitive, I bravely snatched her hand back and gave it a squeeze of my own. "You're more than welcome, Mrs. Cullen."

"Please call me Esme." She laughed a little, smiling warmly at me and gesturing her hands about. "And please forgive me for embarrassing you in the middle of the grocery store."

I kept the smile on my face despite being uncomfortable. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the few other shoppers who must have stopped to watch our exchange. "It was nice to officially meet you, Esme." I said, wanting to run and hide from the stares "But I need to get home and start dinner before it gets any later."

"Of course!" she said, stepping back a little, "I'm sorry to keep you. Have a good night, Bella."

"You too," I mumbled. I gave Esme Cullen one last smile before heading to the onions in a daze. Did that really just happen?

Whenever I had seen Mrs. Cullen in the past, she was the epitome of composure and nonchalance. To see her get emotional in the middle of Waylon's was disconcerting and I must have replayed it a dozen times in my head before I checked out and dozen more on the drive home.

Whatever that was, it seemed unusual and uncharacteristic and once again my insides twisted painfully as I thought about Edward. It must be so hard for the Cullen's to remain strong in public when their youngest son was laid up in a hospital bed and had remained there, unchanged for the past 8 months.

Sighing, I quickly started dinner once inside, deciding to put the whole odd exchange behind me and within a few minutes, I had sauce for spaghetti simmering on the stove. With time to spare, I grabbed my pack and headed toward the living room where I began my homework for the night.

By the time Charlie got home around 1, my homework was finished, the kitchen was cleaned and his dinner was resting in the microwave. I could hear him rummaging around in the fridge for a beer as I settled in for the night.

Tomorrow was Saturday and I was looking forward to checking out the bookstore that just opened up in Port Angeles.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** What do you think of Esme?


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters.

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Chapter 3

I awoke the next morning to raised voices, and sat up quickly despite how groggy I was. If the loud argument wasn't such an odd occurrence, I probably would have rolled right over and gone back to sleep, but it was odd. _R_ _eally_ _odd._ Nothing like this had happened in the 5 months since I'd moved here, nor on any of the visits I paid Charlie during Summer break when I was younger. In fact, I didn't think I'd ever heard him raise his voice for anything, and yet one of those voices clearly belonged to him.

I briefly contemplated giving him privacy to deal with the disgruntled visitor, but after a moment and a particularly loud boom, my curiosity got the best of me and I quietly crept over to the door. Opening it slightly, I slipped out into the hall and crouched down just out of sight. The once muffled voices carried up the stairs and reached my ears.

"Charlie," the voice protested angrily. "You can not be seriously considering that this is in the best interest of either town."

I heard my dad grunt something in response before saying, "Look, I care for change about as much as you do, but maybe the Cullen's are right this time." The other voice started to cut in but Charlie continued, raising his voice, "You stopped them from expanding before, but how much longer do you think the council will stand behind you and your prejudices when that's all they really are?"

"As long as it takes," the voice I recognized as Billy's spat. "You can be sure of that."

The door slammed and Charlie huffed after his best friend, calling out, "So I guess we're not going fishing anymore?"

The only response was Billy's tires screeching a little as he peeled out of the driveway. I remained there for a moment, wide-eyed, as I heard Charlie move from the entry way to the living room, presumably to sit down in one of the recliners.

My mind whirled. _What was that about?  
_

Charlie sighed, and suddenly spoke nearly causing me to lose my balance, "I was not born yesterday, Bella. You can come out."

Steadying myself on the nearest wall, I could feel the blood pool behind my cheeks in embarrassment. "How'd you know?" I asked guiltily, before continuing down the stairs and coming to stand awkwardly in front of him. He was sitting on the edge of the recliner with his elbows on his knees, his hands folded together under his mustache.

"I'm a cop, kiddo." He said with a wave of his hand as if that explained everything. I suppose it did. As a cop, he was probably trained to hear even the slightest of door creaks.

I nodded, and after a tense moment we both started to apologize. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping—"

"I'm sorry we were so loud—" Laughing, Charlie held up his hand, "No worries, Bells." he said, calling me a nickname I hadn't heard in awhile. "I'm just sorry you had to hear all that."

"What exactly was all that?" I asked, unable to help myself as I moved to the couch and sat down. "Why is Billy so angry with the Cullen's?"

Charlie signed again as he leaned back into his favorite recliner, looking more tired than I'd seen him in years.

"The Blacks," he paused a moment, "Hell, everyone over on the reservation fears the Cullen's are going to start housing developments on the land they've been purchasing outside of Forks. The thing is that it's been in the works for years, and now with one in the hospital, more of the family is coming back down to Forks from Seattle to settle down."

"But why do they care whether the Cullen's makes use of the land they've bought?" I asked, not understanding the problem. It's their land, right?

"Some of the residents in La Push think the land belongs to them and have been fighting for it ever since the Cullen's bought it several years ago." Charlie replied. "They've managed to halt production a few times, and the Cullen's let it go when their kids all left for college in Seattle, deciding to follow them out but—"

"But now that their all moving back, the Quileute think they're going to start again." I finished, summarizing where Charlie was going as I lifted my legs and wrapped my arms around them.

He nodded, "And to make matters worse, they've been buying up a few abandoned properties by the river, making everyone suspect they've got bigger plans for Forks."

"But you think it's a good thing?" I asked skeptical.

Charlie eyed me for a moment before saying, "You can't avoid moving forward forever." He shrugged before continuing, "Sooner or later, change is upon you and there's nothing you can do about it."

Soon after Charlie was on his way out, unwilling to allow his well-planned fishing trip to go to waste simply because Billy was being difficult. After grabbing a shower and something to eat for breakfast, I followed him out, excited to spend the next few hours surrounded by books.

As I drove to Port Angeles however, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to what Charlie said. His words seemed strangely personal but whether they attributed to me or him, I couldn't be sure.

I guess like my dad, I didn't care for change either. I liked adjusting to change even less, but he was certainly right about one thing. Change was inevitable. You couldn't avoid it forever, and when it was upon you, learning to adapt was much easier than fighting against it.

Moving to Forks, living with Charlie, all were big changes I tried to fight at first. It took me 2 solid months to adjust and I still struggled all these months later. In fact, it was during a particularly rough week that Charlie threatened me with a therapist unless I got out of the house and did something besides mope around. When he suggested volunteering at the local hospital, I was hesitant to do it, not knowing what volunteering at a hospital would look like, but when I called and they mentioned reading to the patients, I knew I had to do it.

In truth, volunteering brought me more peace than I had in a long time. It made the fact that my life changed so drastically easier to bear, but I still had a hard time letting go of my life in Florida—and _Renee_. I sighed sadly as I thought about just how easy it had been for her to let go of me though.

The pain of her abandonment was always there, gnawing at my insides. I'd never understand her choice, if you could call it that. I suppose Charlie and I had that in common though, after all, she did abandon him too, albeit years before. Nevertheless, this was different, and we both knew that, which was probably why Charlie still brought therapy up every now and then.

As much as I refused to go, happy to find solace in my books, I knew he was right.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** The first few chapters of this are definitely setting the stage. There will be more on Edward later, but in the meantime, what are your thoughts?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters.

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Chapter 4

My trip to the bookstore proved to be a huge disappointment. I probably spent a total of 15 minutes inside before my excitement died and I realized everything was _seriously_ _overpriced_. Judging by their lack of customers, I was fairly certain I was not the only one who thought that, but as irritated as I was for having driven over an hour for nothing, I was also determined not to let this day go to waste by going back to Forks so soon.

 _Determined_ _being_ _the_ _keyword_ , I thought darkly as I tried for the umpteenth time to get my phone to connect to the WiFi at the coffee shop I was at. It was an older phone, but this was getting ridiculous. After checking and double checking the password several times only to get the same error message, I tossed my phone on the table in front of me and groaned in frustration.

Resting my head atop the cold surface, I briefly wondered whether the local library was within walking distance and then debated on whether or not it was even worth getting a library card there since it would mean making regular trips to Port Angeles. Although the book selection was bound to be better than what Forks library had to offer, there was no way I could afford to make regular trips since the truck guzzled gas like nobody's business. _Unless..._

Unless of course I got a job, but that would mean cutting back on how often I volunteered at the hospital, otherwise I simply wouldn't make enough for it to be worthwhile.

"Bella?" I was so lost in thought that I barely registered the bell above the door chime a few moments ago.

Startled, I straightened up to find Jess from the hospital standing in front of me with a look of surprise. "Fancy seeing you here," she continued, gesturing to the seat opposite of mine. "Is this seat taken?"

I shook my head no and gestured for her to sit. "I wanted to check out that new bookstore that just opened up." I said in explanation. "But everything is so overpriced, I can't afford to buy anything." I wondered if she could hear the overwhelming sadness seeping into my voice.

Jess hummed in response, taking a seat as she waved to the teen behind the counter. "An ice caramel macchiato with whole milk to go, please."

"Coming right up, ma'am."

She returned her attention back to me. "So what are your plans now?" she asked, her eyes suddenly brightening as if something had just occurred to her. "If you don't want to go back to Forks already, you should come with me to find a dress for my friends housewarming party next weekend!"

I hesitated for a minute. Accompanying her let alone anyone to go shopping sounded an awful lot like torture to me, but the smile on her face had me nodding before I could really think about it. Jess had always been really kind to me. If she had been a few years younger, I didn't doubt we'd be fast friends. Maybe we kind of already were.

"Yes!" she said with enthusiasm, calling out to the teen behind the counter again, "Make that two to go!"

I winced at her level of excitement and wondered what I had just agreed to as she grinned at me and said, "You're going to need it."

And boy was she right. I followed her around a small clothing boutique in the Port Angeles Mall with my drink in one hand and a pile of dresses in the other. I could barely see where I was going over the tower of fabrics and I seriously started to worry I'd trip and get coffee all over them. _No way could I afford one, let alone all of them,_ I thought as I caught sight of one of the price tags.

"Um, Jess?" I said as she threw yet another dress on top of the pile. "Maybe you should try some of these on? that way we can put the rejects back?"

"Don't be silly, Bella" she chided me. "My friend is _really_ rich and _really_ into fashion so we both have to look our best. I'm grabbing everything that's even remotely decent."

"I understand, it's just.. wait, what? What do you mean _w_ _e_?" I asked horrified, coming to an abrupt stop.

" _We_." she repeated, spinning around to eye me over the mountain of dresses. "I know we don't really hang out, Bella, but we should seriously change that because I am in desperate need of a plus one."

The sudden urge bolt was nearly overwhelming as her words sunk in. Seeming to read my mind, she huffed. "Bella, come on, live a little. In the time I've known you, you're either reading or talking about reading. It's not like this is some high school party. You've made it pretty clear how much you hate those."

I found myself nodding as she continued, "What's the worst thing that could happen honestly? You actually enjoy yourself?" she asked me seriously.

Jess had a point, but I'd never actually admit it. Even if she was right, there was no way I could afford any of these dresses and I told her as much. "This place is _way_ above my budget anyway."

"Do you think I invited you here without the intention of buying you a dress?" she scoffed as she spotted something over my shoulder that caused her to shriek. She moved passed me and said, "Bella, this purple would look gorgeous against your skin and it's even on clearance!"

I spun around in confusion but she was already next to me, holding the dress up to my arm so I could see. I had to agree, not only was the purple color gorgeous on it's own but it made my pale skin look luminescent and lovely.

"Fine." I heard myself saying, "I'll go to the party and I'll even let you buy me that dress if the price is reasonable and it fits, but you're letting me treat you to a late lunch as a thank you." I said, shocking us both.

"Deal." She replied instantly. _Guess I was going to this party after all._

An hour later we were sitting in the food court eating subs hashing out the details. Jess managed to find her own dress when I was trying on mine, which made me think she had hers picked out the whole time. I couldn't say I minded though. I was actually really enjoying myself and was excited to go to a party that wasn't filled with hormonal teenage boys.

We exchanged numbers and made arrangements for her to pick me up so we could go together and were nearly finished with our subs when it suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea who her friend was. "You never told me who's party it was?" I said around my sandwich.

In that moment, she looked more sheepish than I think I'd ever seen her and I was immediately suspicious. "Jess?" I asked warily.

After a long pause, she finally said, "Okay, I'll tell you, but don't be mad."

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Jess had mentioned her friend was _rich_ and into _fashion_. Only one person seemed to fit that description that lived around here, but there's no way...

"Don't tell me—"

"Yeah, it's Alice Cullen."

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Man, those Cullen's are everywhere.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters.

* * *

Chapter 5

My stomach twisted as Jess confirmed what I had already began to suspect—the way it _always_ did whenever I heard the Cullen name and was inadvertently reminded of Edward. Sighing, I sat back and tried to look as unaffected as possible.

"You didn't think to mention that earlier?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Jess frowned and hesitated before saying. "Only because you always make a face whenever the Cullen's are mentioned…

"I do not." I protested quickly, working to relax my face into a more neutral expression.

"Yes you do." She laughed humorlessly, looking contemplative. "Almost like you're in physical pain or something."

I silently groaned at her uncanny ability to read me so easily. _Was it really that obvious?_

Crossing my arms defensively, I said, "I just feel bad for them, okay?"

"This is about Edward?" Her tone softened in understanding. "I know it's weird since he's a patient at the hospital, but some times that's just life in a small town, you know?"

When I didn't say anything, she continued, putting her sub down. "I know you only mentioned it once in passing, but if you do decide to go into nursing after senior year, you'll learn to separate and things like this won't effect you as much."

I nodded in acknowledgment, even though she wasn't entirely correct in her assumption that it was the awkwardness of living in a small town—she wasn't too far off the mark regarding my inability to separate. At least not where Edward Cullen was concerned, which frustrated me because I didn't understand why.

"It's hard not to feel bad for the Cullen's though." I said frowning as I told her about running into Mrs. Cullen last night. "The Cullen's always walk around like they're made of stone, totally unaffected and probably for everyone else's benefit, yet it's more than obvious they're struggling."

She sighed. "I know what you mean and yeah that is pretty uncharacteristic of Mrs. Cullen." Jess agreed before shifting uncomfortably.

"What?" I asked, getting the impression that I was missing something.

"It's nothing." Jess said, shaking her head slightly. "Mrs. Cullen was just looking for you yesterday but you were already in with Mrs. Cope. I guess she found you at the grocery store and said what she needed to say anyway."

"What?" I asked surprised, leaning forward. "Why would she seek me out at the hospital at all?"

There was an edge to her voice as she said, "I can't say for certain, apart from her wanting to thank you, but I think she was just really emotional yesterday too."

"Any particular reason?" I asked wondering if the grocery store was as random as I originally thought and thinking that Jess must know more than she's saying.

"Patient confidentiality." She shrugged apologetically before picking up her sandwich again.

I wanted to ask what she meant but the conversation was clearly over and there was no way Jess would compromise her job by telling me. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but worry about it. Was it about Edward? Did something happen? Was that why Mrs. Cullen was so emotional at the grocery store? _Was it… bad?_

I sighed as I looked at the remainder of my sandwich before getting up and tossing it in the trash. I was far too anxious to finish it. I knew I couldn't dwell on the unknown, but I also knew I could sit there any longer and pretend I wasn't reeling on the inside from it.

"You're still coming to the party, right?" Jess asked when I started to gather up my things.

I groaned, having momentarily forgotten about Alice Cullen's party. "I guess," I said, rolling my eyes. "But next time, you should just tell me because I hate surprises." I said seriously.

She laughed, finishing her lunch and standing to gather her own things. "Okay, I can respect that."

We went our separate ways and soon after I was in the truck on my way back to Forks. My mind was still reeling with the idea that Mrs. Cullen sought me out directly. Every bad scenario was playing through my mind and I knew I wouldn't have peace until I saw for myself that nothing bad had happened to Edward. Sighing heavily, I tried not to think about it and was suddenly very relieved that Charlie wouldn't be home until tomorrow evening.

Like Jess, Charlie was strangely perceptive, always referring to me as an open book, even when I was a young girl. I knew I wouldn't be able to hide the fact that I was troubled from him and I was thankful that I didn't have to try. If he were home, he would no doubt sense something was off the moment I walked in the door and hover, making things worse. As annoying as this was, I was also extremely thankful that I had a Dad that cared as much as he did.

When I passed the _"Welcome to Forks"_ sign just after four, I planned to go straight home, but I found myself turning left instead of right at the next intersection. Before I had a chance to really think about what I was doing, I was pulling into the parking lot of Forks General.

Parking in one of the empty spaces, I rested my head on the steering wheel and groaned as I tried to rationalize what I was doing there. Not only was I being insanely weird, I knew the chances of actually being able see Edward as a visitor were slim at best, already knowing he had a pre-approved visitor list that I wasn't on.

But I had to try, if for no other reason than the fact that I doubted I could wait until Monday to make sure he was okay. At least not without losing my mind and driving Charlie up the wall. I would just have to think of a plausible excuse for being there.

I glanced at the passenger seat knowing I always kept a spare book underneath it in case I got stranded. Reaching down I pulled out my worn copy of Wuthering Heights. It wasn't the type of book I would normally read patients, but I couldn't claim to be there as a volunteer without having something to read.

Taking a deep breath, I climbed out of the cab before heading into the hospital. Like yesterday I quickly made my way down the long corridor towards the nurse's station, thankful to see the only nurse there was one I recognized from last night.

She glanced up at me, clearly confused by my presence before offering me a soft smile.

"Hey…" I said, quickly checking her name tag. "Michaela, I know today isn't on my schedule but I had some free time and was hoping to make myself useful by volunteering."

She frowned, looking at the sign in sheet. "I'm sorry, Bella, but most of the patients have family visiting right now and as you know, only immediate family are allowed to visit Mr. Cullen."

She shuffled some papers around and I sighed, already knowing this, having seen the list before myself.

"I'm sorry," she said before standing. "I'd love to stay and chat but I have to make my rounds."

"It's alright, I understand." I said watching as she walked away. I tried to take comfort in the fact that nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary from the last time I was there and she didn't seem weird when she mentioned Edward. _Surely, if something bad happened, there would be evidence of it, right?_

Dejected, but convinced nothing too severe had happened, I turned to leave just as Dr. Cullen rounded the corner. I froze when I realized he was looking directly at me. Something in the way he walked purposefully down the hall had me wanting to bolt as I instinctively knew he wasn't coming down here for Edward, but for _me._

"Bella," He greeted with a smile. "It's a surprise to see you here this evening."

I tried to smile in return, but I was sure it looked more like a grimace. "I had some free time today and thought I could stop by and read to some of the patients," I said in explanation.

"That is very kind of you, Bella. I'm sure the patients and their families really appreciate that." He said, looking thoughtful. "Myself included."

"Anything to help." I nodded awkwardly waving him off. "Unfortunately, the nurse said all the patients had family visiting so I was just on my way out." I said, making a move to walk past him.

Dr. Cullen quickly held up a hand to stop me. "If you still want to read to someone, I'm fairly certain Edward doesn't have any visitors." He said, gesturing toward his room. "My wife was here earlier and I'm on my way to a consult."

Surprised, I stopped turning to face him. "But my name isn't on the list' I said stupidly.

"Of course," He said as if remembering something before moving behind the nurses station. "I will fix that right now."

I watched with confusion as he grabbed a post it note and wrote something on it before signing his name. He smiled up at me and I couldn't help but ask, "Why are you doing this?"

 _This, all of this, from his wife seeking me out to him coming out of nowhere as though he knew I was here—all of this couldn't be a coincidence._

His response was immediate, emotion coming out with every word he spoke, "Because the last time you were here, my son's heart rate increased. We think it was because of the stimuli your reading has provided, but my family and I can't seem to get the same reaction. We're hoping you could read to him more often. We're hoping that it wasn't a one-time occurrence."

* * *

 **Authors Note:** I wanted to say a quick thank you to those who have offered their feedback, and a special thank you to the person who recommended to this story on _A Different Forest_. I'm not entirely sure what that is but since then I have seen a few mention they heard about _Comatose_ from there. In any case, I wasn't expecting the response this story has gotten and I really appreciate those of you who have taken time out to let me know your thoughts. With that said, I really hope some questions have been answered in this chapter.

Until next time, did any of you see this coming?


End file.
